Simple scents make you part with most cash

Simple scents beat complex aromas when it comes to getting
customers to part with their cash.

The research into the commercial effects of scent was led by Eric Spangenberg,
dean of Washington State University's College of Business, and
revealed that shoppers spent more money when they could smell a
simple scent as opposed to a complex one, or no scent at all.

"Most people are processing it at an unconscious level, but it
is impacting them," said Spangenberg. "The important thing from the
retailer's perspective and the marketer's perspective is that a
pleasant scent isn't necessarily an effective scent."

More than 400 customers were observed in a home decoration store
in St Gallen, Switzerland as the air was infused with a simple
orange scent, a complex orange-basil blended with green tea and
finally, no scent at all. The simple scent group of around 100
people spent an average of 20 percent more money than the other
groups and also bought more items.

According to the researchers, the increase in shopping activity
stems from the fact that simple scents are more easily processed.
Complex scents take more resources to deal with and therefore
interfere with cognitive task performance.

Support for the cognitive explanation for the increased spending
came from a second experiment, in which participants were able to
solve a greater number of word problems and in less time when a
simple scent was present, than when working in an atmosphere with a
complex scent or no scent at all.

The studies indicate that pleasant scents aren't necessarily the
best way to produce productivity either in a business or an
educational context.